Pajero Owners Club of South Africa

I have just bought a Pajero, supposedly 1997, with a 2800 Intercooled turbo engine, with automatic gearbox. It seems to be in good condition, pretty original with no obvious modifications, and shows 85,000kms on the clock. I have done about 1,000 kms in her since purchase, and she hums along pretty well.
My previous experiences with 4x4 vehicles was all series Landrovers, so this is a whole new ball game for me. I am also more of a petrol fan, but there is a first time for everything. I was very pleased to find and join this club, and I assure you I have lots of questions!
I am a Textile Manager , but have always done a lot of mechanical fiddling on my vehicles, so know my way around a toolbox. The Pajero will be used mainly for holidays at Kariba and Chirundu, and will tow a fairly heavy eighteen foot boat.
I look forward to picking everyones brains and ensuring I use my vehicle correctly and get the most out of her.

Welcome to the forum, and congratulations on an excellent SUV!

The kms sound low, so you might just have bought a bargain.

The critical items on a diesel engine are oil cahnges, cooling system and EGT (exhaust gas temperatures).

Oil Changes:
Stick to 5000 intervals with the best oil you can find (15W40).

• Caltex Delo400
• Shell Rimula Diesel
• Shell Helix Diesel

change the oil filter with each oil change. Here in SA they are cheaper from the agents than 3rd party!

Cooling:
Since you don't know the history of the maintenance, I suggest the following:

• full set of hoses (including heater hoses). Keep the 'old' ones as spares in the vehicle.
• Mitsu thermostat
• cooling system flush
• best coolant you can find. I believe in Caltex Extended Life Coolant.

EGTs:
Keep the EGTs down by

• having the injector pump calibrated
• keep the revs down to 3500 max
• shift up early (±2500)
• don't depress the pedal if it does not result in higher rpm - it just over-fuels the engine and causes high EGT
• have an EGT guage fitted (all TD engines should have them)

Enjoy!

Welcome Mr.